San Isidro & Pucate Rivers
Early in the morning today and with high spirits we started our expedition in the mighty Amazon. On a rather cool morning filled with a soft misty rain we had a deep exploration of the Marañon River and a couple of small creeks of the area.
Our first outing was highly successful for we spotted several species of tropical birds. After a well-deserved breakfast we went for a hike in the vicinity of San Isidro community. We had the choice of a short walk or a longer hike. Equipped with rubber boots and with the company of a local native scout from the community we explored a rain forest trail. This outing let us understand, with the help of the interpretation of our naturalists, how fascinating the dynamics of the tropical rain forests are. We observed many colorful flowers and learned about several medicinal plants as well. After these activities we had a couple of introductory talks, one on the Amazon and one on the Reserve.
While having lunch we had the surreal thrill to observe many pink river dolphins joyfully fishing directly beneath our big dining room windows. Can you imagine the experience of watching dolphins while having lunch? In the Amazon? Wow, what a treat!
In the afternoon, after lunch, we explored the Pucate River, which is a black water tributary of the Marañon River. We observed a fairly large building, the PV 1. This is the name given by the locals to the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve wardens’ watching station number 1. We stopped in this place for a brief time to officially register our entrance to the reserve. In this area, our fleet of trustful skiffs maneuvered by our “eagled eyes” drivers allowed us to explore several very small creeks in detail.
Finally, late in the afternoon, we came back onboard with unforgettable feelings and memories in our hearts and minds of our first full day of our expedition in the Peruvian Amazon onboard the Delfin II.
